nlimited quantities of the
money of a coarse man who stumbled upon his riches accidentally, as has
many a man of California and Colorado.

I intended, when I sat down to write, the very first thing I said,
to thank you for your wonderful invitation, seconded so loyally and
cordially by Katy, to make my home with you until the time comes--if it
ever does come--when I shall have a home of my own again. And just
as simply and wholeheartedly as you made the offer, I accept it. I am
enclosing the address and the receipt for my furniture in storage, and a
few lines ordering it delivered at your house and the bill sent to me.
I only kept a few heirlooms and things of Mother's and Father's that are
very precious to me. Whenever Eileen takes her things you can order mine
in and let me know, and I'll take a day or two off and run down for a
short visit.

Mentioning Eileen makes me think of John. I think of him more frequently
than I intend or wish that I did, but I feel my ninth life is now
permanently extinguished concerning him. I thought I detected in your
letter, Linda dear, a hint of fear that he might come back to me and
that I might welcome him. If you have any such feeling in your heart,
abandon it, child, because, while I try not to talk about myself, I do
want to say that I rejoice in a family inheritance of legitimate pride.
I couldn't give the finest loyalty and comradeship I had to give to a
man, have it returned disdainfully, and then furbish up the pieces and
present it over again. If I can patch those same pieces and so polish
and refine them that I can make them, in the old phrase, "as good as
new," possibly in time--but, Linda, one thing is certain as the hills
of morning. Never in my life will any man make any headway with me again
with vague suggestions and innuendoes and hints. If ever any man wants
to be anything in my life, he will speak plainly and say what he wants
and thinks and hopes and intends and feels in not more than two-syllable
English. I learned my lesson about the futility of building your house
of dreams on a foundation of sand. Next time I erect a dream house, it
is going to have a proper foundation of solid granite. And that may seem
a queer thing for me to say when you know that I am getting the joy in
my life, that I do not hesitate to admit I am, from letters written by a
man whose name I don't know. It may be that I don't know the man, but I
certainly am very well acquainted with him, a